1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to supports for a fuel sending apparatus within a fuel tank, and more particularly, to such a support that maintains the fuel sender in a fixed position relative to the tank and which permits displacement of the sender and support when the tank has been deformed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some known fuel sender units are mounted within a vehicle fuel tank. Such units include a housing containing a pump connected between a fluid inlet as well as a fluid outlet which is coupled for fluid communication with a conduit for directing the fuel exteriorly of the tank and toward the engine of the motor vehicle. The support fixedly positions the fuel sender so that the fluid inlet is in fluid communication with the bottom of the tank for access to the entire contents of the tank. In order to facilitate installation of the fuel sender, the top wall of the fuel tank can include an aperture adapted to receive the fuel sender and its support structure, and the support structure is then fixedly entrained between the top wall and the bottom wall of the tank.
It has also been known to mount a level detector within the fuel tank of a motor vehicle. The detector may generate an analog or a digital signal representative of the level of fluid detected in the fuel tank. The signal is then conducted exteriorly of the tank toward a gauge or other indicator appropriately positioned within the driver compartment of the vehicle. Like the fuel sender unit, the detector must be positioned relative to the bottom of the tank so that it effectively measures the level of fluid with respect to the bottom of the tank.
Moreover, it is also possible to install such a device through an opening in the top wall of the tank in order to avoid the need for tightly sealing an opening in a tank surface subjected to substantially greater contact with the fuel in the tank. Since such top wall mountings reduce the risk of leakage from the fuel tank, they may be considered desirable for any apparatus required to be disposed within a fuel tank. As a result, the previously known supports are often rigidly entrained between the top wall and the bottom wall of the tank.
Moreover, fuel tanks are often positioned as close to the ground as possible to maintain a low center of gravity for the vehicle. Such positioning renders them vulnerable to contact with road debris and other foreign obstacles. When the fuel tank is constructed as a relatively rigid structure, the fuel sender support, and thus the fuel sender housing, can be rigidly retained in a fixed position within the housing. Contact of the tank walls with road obstructions or other debris, the objects are merely deflected due to the rigidity of the tank. However, when the contact is severe enough to cause deformation of the tank wall, especially the bottom, the rigid support structure can cause rupturing of the tank walls. In addition, the support mounting structure can be torn apart from the tanks walls and also cause rupturing of the tank.
Moreover, it has been known to construct fuel tanks of a resiliently deformable material. Thus, when the tank walls are subjected to contact with a road obstacle or other debris, the tank wall temporarily deforms and then returns to its original shape. Nevertheless, it will be understood that a rigid support structure for a fuel sender or a fuel level detector entrained between the top and bottom walls of the deformable fuel tank would increase the risk of rupturing the tank walls during deformation and will be undesirable in such a fuel tank.